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Tactics for November

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#1 · (Edited)
November 04, 2015

Tactics for November

by Capt Craig Lambert

It is November and the fish are hungry and wanting to fatten up before winter. But they don't just jump in the boat. Playing the circumstances and changing your patterns to the current weather and environmental conditions is the key to your success. There are some things that I definitely do a little differently this month to fill the box.

Water Goggles Sky Vertebrate Sunglasses

Big Flatty
Cold fronts are now a weekly occurrence and yes every other month of the year the day after a front does not produce good fishing. But in November the day or two after a front is prime time for flounder fishing. So instead of writing that day off it is time to get that stiffer pole out and drag the bottom with some Chicken Boys or Gulps. Put away that trout rod when fishing for flounder and grab the stiffer Bass pole. I use a 6 ft. 8 in. heavy action rod as my flounder pole and couple that with no stretch braided line and you have the proper set up. Tighter drags and hard hook sets are a must with flounder to penetrate their tough jaws so that is why stretchable monofilament will get a lot of hooks spit back in your face right before you net them. The reason flounder spit the hook is because they are not actually hooked. They are just holding on to that bait. Proper tackle will cure that problem. I NEVER lose a flounder during flounder season but will lose a few when I am trout fishing because of my flimsy trout rod.

Liquid Wood Automotive lighting Automotive exterior Fish hook
Trailer hook set up

For those that have kids or someone that does not have the capabilities of a hard hook set or even if you use mono still and dont want to use braid. I recommend a trailer hook of some sort in that case. Buy the sharpest hooks you can find like Owner or Gamakatsu to use as the trailer hook along with a very sharp jighead and you will not lose "quite as many" from poor hook sets. A tandem rig also works well for the non-fishermen with the same #6 super sharp treble and a live shrimp or finger mullet.
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The Perfect Fish!​
The speckled trout and redfish are being scattered around from all of the rain so windier days are best. The reason I say that is on windier days you can cover more water and use the wind as a way to find more fish. I dont think anglers realize how beneficial a 15 mph wind really is. Windy, rainy, yucky days are the best fishing days in fall. The fish tend to feed better on windier conditions as opposed to calmer days. Especially before a front when it is blowing SE at 15-20. That is about as good as it gets for conditions you actually hope for.
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Southeast at 15-20 mph that day and we hammered'em!
All of this rain is going to push the fish down in the water column so adjust your tackle accordingly by using a heavier jighead or a longer leader under your popping cork. Keep that bait low and you that will help you keep your bait in the strike zone. As salinity levels rise the fish will not only rise in the water column but return to normal areas currently over run with fresh water from run-off.

Use these tactics this month and I will guarantee that you will put more fish in the box.

And always remember to take a kid fishing!!


Comments (3)

adanvjr

wrote 5 years ago

Great Article.
I'm only limited to a kayak, so +15 knot winds can be brutal day unless I can find wind protected shorelines.

Should I focus on deeper areas with mud/shell mix?


capt mullet

wrote 5 years ago

This past week the trout have really moved up on shallow flats and I have been catching them in 3.5 to 4.5 ft of water over heavy shell. But they are down deep.

No matter if you are in a kayak or boat a protected shoreline is definitely needed.


adanvjr

wrote 5 years ago

Okay, I appreciate the quick response.

 
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